Multiple air cell mattress



Dec. 20, 1949 G. L. GOOLSBEE MULTIPLE AIR CELL MATTRESS Filed March 12,1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l uveutor 1949 ca. 1.. GOOLSBEE MULTIPLE AIR CELLMATTRESS 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed March 12, 1946 Patented Dec. 20, 1949UNITED STATES rarest OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in mattresses, and moreparticularly to a multiple air cell mattress.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved multiple air cellmattress which will be provided with a plurality of inflatable rubberair cells suitably supported upon transversely extending slats adaptedto be placed transversely of a bed upon the side rails thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved multiple aircell mattress, said mattress being formed with a plurality of rubber aircells which may be inflated equally, or the air may be partially valvedfrom certain cells to provide a different cushioning effect over thatarea of the mattress which has the cells containing the lesser airpressure.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved multiple aircell mattress which will comprise a plurality of fabric casings suitablysupported upon transverse slat members, and having means for supportingrubber air cells therein, and a sealing strip interposed between eachair cell on its lower and opposite sides.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improvedmultiple air cell mattress which will be formed with a plurality ofrubber air cells suitably supported in fabric casings and secured intransverse arrangement on transversely extending slats adapted to beplaced upon the side rails of a bed, said mattress being highlyeflicient and healthful for sleeping purposes, and relativelyinexpensive to manufacture and produce.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bed supporting a mattress thereonformed in accordance with the instant invention;

Figure 2 is a. vertical sectional view taken through a number of aircells showing the construction of the pockets for containing the aircells, and the method of attaching said pockets and air cells to a slatmember;

Figure 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of a single air cellshowing its casing, the same being attached to a slat member with thevalve stem of said air cell extending through an opening in said slatmember;

Figure 4 is a perspective view, partially broken away showing the fabriccasing with the air cell removed therefrom, and showing an added base orbottom strip in contact with the upper surface of the supporting slat,and

Figure 5 is a bottom view of the slat showing the securing meansattached thereto for secur-.

ing the fabric container to the slat.

Like characters of reference vare used throughout the followingspecification and the accom-' panying drawings to' designatecorresponding parts.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided an improved multipleair cell mattress which will be adapted to be positioned on andsupported by a bed I having suitable legs 2.

The improved multiple air cell mattress generally denoted by thereference numeral 3 will comprise a plurality of similarly constructedfabric casings which are secured in line to a series of slats 4, thesame being adapted to be supported upon the side rails (not shown) ofthe bed I.

The fabric containers for the air cells comprise a plurality ofsubstantially rectangular shaped casings having oppositely disposedsides 5 and 6, and a top I. The opposite sides 5 of the casing areextended downwardly below the bottom of the said casing, and are adaptedto extend over the opposite sides of the slats 4 and to be turnedinwardly, and to be secured to the bottom of said slats t by means ofthe cup-shaped washers 8 and nails or screws 9.

A fabric sealing strip [0 wil be disposed upon the upper surface of theslat 4, and will be provided with the upwardly extending side portions ll, serving as a sealing means for preventing the live rubber cell l2from becoming displaced when the air pressure is admitted to the same.An opening IE will be formed centrally through the bottom portion of thesealing strip Hi to permit the valve stem M to extend therethrough, anddownwardly through the aperture l5 formed through the said slat member4. The outer end of the valve stem will be threaded as at l6, and may bepinched between the fingers to close it while removin the air pump (notshown) and while screwing on the valve cap.

The sides 6 extend over the insert or sealing strip Ill, either end ofwhich is perforated so as to go over and pass the insert and be fastenedon the opposite side thereof.

It will be understood that a number of these casings with the liverubber air cells supported within the same will be secured to the slats4 in transverse order, so that a plurality of slats of any desiredmaterial supporting the plurality of air cells with their casings may bereadily placed upon the side rails of a bed to form a mattress for therequired bed.

In ordinary mattresses, and in ordinary single cell air mattresses it isimpossible to change the resiliency of certain portions of the mattress,and it is to accomplish this purpose that applicant has devised theimproved multiple air cell mattress, wherein air may be valved out ofthe cells at whatever section of the mattress it is required to haveadditional resiliency.

Conversely, if it is desired to have certain areas of the ,mattress morefirm than other areas, additionalgair may beletinto those cells adjacentthe portion of the mattress where greater rigidity or less flexibilityis desired. This added rigidity is often required in the center portionof a mattress underlying the hips of a sleeper -when on the bed, for thetreatment of those ,sufiering from sacroiliac ailments.

From the foregoing description :it wilLbeseen that there has beendevised a highly efficientform of multiple air cell mattress which willimmediately lend itself to use with varying sizes of beds, and :in whichvariousdegrees of support'may be controlled over the surface area of the'S id mattress.

:While the preferred embodiment of the instant invention has beenillustrated and described, it will be understood that it is not intendedto limit the construction of the invention thereto, as-many minorchangesin detail of construction may be resorted to without departure from thespiritof the invention.

Having-thus-describe'd my invention what I claim as new and desire "tosecure 'by Letters slat, said casings including top sections andopposing first and second pairs of side sections, the first pair of saidside sections being extended below the slats and having their lower endsinturned and secured to the under surface of the slats, the second pairof said side sections having their lower ends inturned and seated on theupper surface of the slats, inflatable rubber cells, said cells beingseated on the inturned lower ends of the second pair of side sectionsand housed within the casings, :valve stems carried by said cells andinserted through said slats, and fabric sealing strips interposedbetween said inturned loyver e nds of the second pair of side sectionsand the bottom of the rubber cells, said sealing strips havingoppositely disposed ends extending upwardly in sealing contact with thefirst pair of said'side sections.

GORDON L. GOOLSBEE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are .iof-srecord in the.

file of this patent:

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